Description:

The Ecomusée du Perche was set up in 1972 and is dedicated to rural life, agriculture, crafts and traditions, in the 19th and 20th centuries. Major changes were taking place in the countryside. The traditional crafts of the forest and the land, many unique to the Perche, were rapidly changing and some were even starting to disappear. The museum was seen as  a means of passing on the memory and skills of a past way of life to a new generation.

The museum is based at the Priory of Sainte-Gauburge which dates back 1,000 years and had a working farm.  The farm ceased working in 1993. The priory, itself, has a very rich architecture and was historically linked to the Abbaye royale de Saint-Denis-en-France.

The permanent exhibits at the museum include reconstructions of craftsmen's workshops and demonstrate the principal activities of a past rural world.

Each year, the museum organises a full programme of activities and displays that enable visitors to experience all aspects of rural life. Demonstrations show the arts of agricultue, cider making, horse transport, forestry, baking in a wood oven and much more. Some are very practical such as workshops on bee keeping and traditional building restoration methods. This programme attracts over 17,000 visitors each year.